Recipe: Oven Chicken and Linguine

OVEN CHICKEN AND LINGUINE

1/2 cup (1/4 lb) butter or margarine
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon dry basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lbs. total) rinsed and patted dry
2 packages (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach
8 oz. linguine or spaghetti, uncooked
Boiling salted water
1 cup (about 5 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese Salt
1 small orange (unpeeled) quartered

Melt butter in a 10x15-inch rimmed baking pan in a 400 degree F oven; then remove pan from oven.

Stir onion, garlic, basil, and crushed red pepper into butter. Place chicken, skin side down, in butter mixture; then turn over.

Bake, uncovered, about 45 minutes or until meat near bone is no longer pink when slashed.

While chicken bakes, thaw spinach: place it in a 2 to 3 quart baking dish, cover, and set in oven with chicken for about 30 minutes. After about 15 minutes, break into chunks with a fork to speed thawing. Pour thawed spinach into a colander or cheesecloth; squeeze out liquid.

Ten minutes before chicken is done, cook linguine in a large quantity of boiling salted water until al dente (about 13 minutes). Drain.

When chicken is done, lift from pan and keep warm. Add spinach to pan and stir to scrape browned bits free. Add pasta and cheese; lift with 2 forks to mix well. Season to taste with salt.

TO SERVE:
Mound a portion of the pasta mixture on each of 4 dinner plates; flank with 2 pieces of chicken and an orange wedge. Before eating, squeeze orange over chicken and pasta.

Servings: 4
Source: Sunset Fresh Ways with Chicken Cookbook